Event Crisis Response: Determining your Social Strategy

We have all heard one too many stories about social media gaffes from companies or brands during a time of crisis. As audiences are increasingly turning to social channels for information during these sensitive time periods, it's imperative to have a social strategy in place for your brand's response. This presentation will provide you with the necessary tools to ensure your brand has a consistent and sensitive response during any major event. Learn more about our approach to social channel management: http://ow.ly/lO1WS

Transcript

1. EVENT CRISIS RESPONSE: DETERMINING YOUR SOCIAL STRATEGY
2. §  Process for social response §  Guide for assessing level of crisis §  Templates for event crisis response messaging THIS DOCUMENT WILL PROVIDE…
3. 3 §  Assessment + execution of appropriate action(s) on behalf of the brand §  Unified brand messaging §  Planned response to consumer questions §  Humanize the brand voice WHY DO WE NEED A PROCESS?
4. 4 “Be HELPFUL, be KIND, or be QUIET.” WHEN IN DOUBT… “Help the CITIZEN, not the CONSUMER.”
5. 5 PROCESS
6. 6 ü Pause scheduled social messaging + paid media ü Reach out to Core Team ü Establish crisis level ü Put together immediate plan ü Act ü Regroup + revise strategy as needed ü Evaluate process for future events PROCESS CHECKLIST
7. 7 PAUSE Pause ALL SCHEDULED MESSAGES + PAID MEDIA until all facts are known and connection to brand can be confirmed or denied P R E P A R E
8. 8 REACH OUT TO CORE TEAM Core team should include representatives from: §  Public Relations Team §  Human Resources §  Marketing Team Social team should come prepared with: §  Assessment of social conversation: current volume, sentiment + context §  Verified or perceived connection to brand P R E P A R E
9. 9 Answer the following questions to determine magnitude of the event for the brand: 1.  Was human life lost? 2.  Was there malicious intent? 3.  Is this considered an environmental catastrophe? 4.  Was the area declared a state of emergency? ESTABLISH CRISIS LEVEL QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE PROCEEDING P R E P A R E *Some criteria may be weighted more than others
10. 10 6. Is your brand involved by name? 7. Is your brand indirectly involved (by industry, partnership, endorsement)? 8. Was an employee or brand representative involved? 9. Does this directly impact the markets where your brand’s teammates and/or customers live? ESTABLISH CRISIS LEVEL: BRAND QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE PROCEEDING P R E P A R E *Some criteria may be weighted more than others
11. 11 Once you have evaluated the crisis event in terms of the previous list of criteria, you can determine the proper level of social response. The following pages have recommendations for immediate actions for your brand to take according to the established crisis level. ESTABLISH CRISIS LEVEL P R E P A R E
12. 12 ü  Adjust messaging as needed ü  Be sensitive ü  Err on the side of conservative ü  Continue to monitor the situation + other brand statements LOW: KEEP CALM + CARRY ON P R E P A R E
13. 13 ü  Pull back volume of social messaging ü  Revise messaging (remove hashtags from tweets), promotions, placements in affected areas ü  Postpone major announcements ü  Refocus strategy when applicable MEDIUM: ACKNOWLEDGE + BE CAUTIOUS P R E P A R E
14. 14 ü  Pause all media + social messaging in affected areas until crisis situation has passed ü  Involve Public Relations team ü  Release holding statement if necessary ü  Contact Core Team + Executives HIGH: STOP + REGROUP P R E P A R E
15. 15 PUT TOGETHER IMMEDIATE PLAN §  Choose messaging templates based on Crisis + Brand Messaging Assessments §  Finalize communication + messaging strategy §  Implement monitoring + reporting schedule §  Schedule meeting regroup for updates §  Any additional next steps Put your plan into ACTION P R E P A R E
16. 16 PUT TOGETHER IMMEDIATE PLAN BRAND MESSAGING TEMPLATES Acknowledgement: §  “Our thoughts are with those affected by the events in [location].” §  “Things will be quiet around here as we watch the story develop/mourn the loss of [person].” §  “Our stores will be closed today in honor/in memory of [event, person].” Put your plan into ACTION P R E P A R E
17. 17 During crisis, monitor social conversation + revise strategy as needed based upon the following: §  News updates §  Consumer conversation §  Competitive brand conversation REGROUP + REVISE P R E P A R E
18. 18 §  After crisis, evaluate communication + messaging process to improve future response §  Identify potential opportunities for more effective + streamlined social communication to consumers EVALUATE PROCESS P R E P A R E
19. LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? WANT TO SEE MORE? This content brought to you by Levelwing. At Levelwing, we specialize in interpreting data and providing you with applications (and not just graphs) that can impact your MARKETING, MERCHANDISING, INVENTORY and even RESEARCH + DEVELOPMENT initiatives. We help companies utilize data to OPERATE WITH GREATER CLARITY + PROFITABILITY. Bottom line, we move your business forward by helping you make sense of your data so that you can ACHIEVE WHAT COULD BE. For additional information, please contact: STEVE PARKER, JR. Co-Founder & Managing Partner steve@levelwing.com 1 + 843.631.4587 20